To Love Another Person
by Alcandre
Summary: The tide has turned. The people are angry. And they want blood. Swan Queen One shot.


This is a little one-shot that popped into my head after watching "Les Miserables" late at night. As I cried (yet again) at Eponine's death and Valjean's final song, I wondered…how would our favorite ladies react in a situation similar to that? And this came out.

**A few side notes:** This takes place after Cora is gone. But that is the only thing that is still canon. Snow didn't kill Cora, Belle has her memories, and (oh yeah) this is established Swan Queen. Yep, our two ladies are together and have been. Don't question it…I didn't. I just sat down at my desk and let my fingers to the walking. And this came out. Of course, I spoke a lot of it out loud to my cats…(they now know I'm crazy).

So, if you don't like Swan Queen, don't read. If you do…read! And I am working on my other stories, no worries. This just needed to be written.

A huge thanks to Laura (again). She is amazing. She will give me great suggestions and ideas. It is so awesome to have someone to throw ideas at who you know will tell you the truth. Yeah, you rock!

I don't own OUAT. Tada!

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The battle wasn't really planned. If one could call it a battle. It was more of an attack. The townspeople were angry. Angry at Regina (again) and thirsty for vengeance (again). Emma was there at her side, her father's sword drawn and ready. Henry watched from inside the mansion while Red ran up to his blonde mother, worry covering her face.

"I'll stand with you, Emma. But this isn't going to be pretty," the wolf girl said with a grimace.

Emma nodded and placed a hand on Red's shoulder. "Thank you," she said. "Have you seen my parents?"

Red shook her head and glanced at Regina, who was grimly watching the mob of angry townspeople making their way to her house. "I haven't heard from them. You know they went to the forest to see if they could find Rumple and Belle. We knew this was going to happen."

Emma took a deep breath and looked over her shoulder at her lover. A quick, grim smile crossed her pale face before she looked back at her friend. "We knew Cora had left some sort of mark on the town. We just didn't expect this."

Red nodded and readied herself, preparing to transform. "Here goes nothing."

It was fast. Emma and Regina had decided beforehand that if it came down to this, they were going to try their hardest to not hurt anyone too badly. That would just make things worse. But the angry townspeople were not so accommodating. They fought with everything they had. Thankfully, they weren't trained soldiers and were therefore not effective in their combat. And since Regina, Emma, and Red were back to back to back no one was getting past them.

Clangs filled the air, magic swept people aside, growls echoed off the mansion. It was intense. Chaos seemed to fill the once pristine yard. Until someone pulled a gun.

"We live here now!" a random person said as he pulled out a pistol. "Why not fight like it?" He took aim at the Queen, a sneer plastered on his face. "And we'll start by quickly ending the life of the one who made it that way."

He didn't hesitate, he didn't think about what his life would be like once he killed a person. He just pulled the trigger. And he hit a body. A choked gasp was heard. A thud as a body hit the ground. Blood spilled out from the wound. And a pained scream could be heard echoing through the now quiet yard.

"You idiot!" Regina screamed as she fell to her knees beside Emma. "What the hell were you thinking!?"

Emma's eyes fluttered as she tried to take a deep breath. "I was thinking…of you," she choked out. "Sorry."

Regina gently pulled the blonde into her lap, not caring about the blood, not hearing the door to the mansion slam open or the footsteps of their son as he hurried over. Not seeing the fighting stop. Not noticing Red changing back into a woman. All she saw was Emma, in her lap, slowly leaving her.

"Why?" she asked fiercely. "Why think of me at all?"

Emma gave a pained laugh that turned into an equally painful cough. "That's all I've been doing for months now. I love you, ya know." She closed her eyes as a wave of pain shot through her. "That's what happens when you love someone."

"But…why?" The question was wrenched from Regina's throat. "Why love me at all?" Tears were falling down her face and hitting Emma in the chest.

A bloodied hand lifted from covering the stomach wound to rest gently on the Queen's cheek. "I couldn't help it," was the whispered reply. "It just happened."

"Well, stop it," Regina demanded. "Stop it. I don't deserve your love. I never did. I've done horrible things. To you. To Henry. To your parents. I should have died. This should be me!"

Emma's thumb slowly caressed frowning lips. "Never, Madam Mayor," she said with a pained grin. "I wouldn't stop loving you even if I could."

"Emma!"

Henry's voice broke through their moment and the boy threw himself to his knees on the other side of the blonde.

"Hey, kid," Emma whispered, letting her hand fall from Regina's cheek to clutch at her son's hand.

"Emma! Don't die," he said through his sobs. "You can't."

"That's right, Henry. Forbid me to die." Emma smiled and Regina gasped at the trickle of blood that left her mouth. "I'll do my best."

"Kiss her, Mom!" Henry shouted at Regina. "Kiss her! True Love's Kiss! It'll work."

"No, Henry," Emma said after another pained gasp. "It won't. Not this time."

A shudder ran through her body, making her cry out in pain. Regina just tightened her hold on the blonde, wishing to spare her any pain.

"Red," Regina whispered harshly. "Bring me the man who did this."

Red didn't even question her. She just turned, focused on the man, who had stupidly continued to stand there in shock, and flew toward him, latching onto his arm before he even registered that she was coming.

When he was placed in front of the grieving family, Regina looked at him with cold, hard eyes. "Is this what you wanted?" she asked with a sneer.

He just stood there, watching the Savior bleed and gasp in pain, the boy they had all grown to love weep into the blonde's neck, and the Queen they all called Evil growl at him with tears streaming down her face.

"Didn't you want to see me weakened?" she continued. "Didn't you all want to see me brought to my knees?"

She looked at the people still surrounding them. They all looked on, shock, sadness, and guilt covering their faces.

"Well, you won!" She shouted. "I'm here, on my knees, broken for the hundredth time in my life. The woman I love is dying, my son will be without his mother, and I will be alone AGAIN!" That's when she broke. That's when the tears began to fall faster. That's when she buried her face in Emma's hair and wept.

"No!"

Snow's voice cut through the weeping and the crowd parted for their king and queen. "Oh, my God, no!" Snow fell to her knees beside Regina, her husband standing behind her with Belle and Rumple not far behind.

Emma was fading. She knew it. She could feel her life ebbing. She wasn't ready to go. She didn't want to. She was finally happy. She had a family. A strange family but a family.

"Magic?" she asked hoarsely. She looked over her mother's shoulder to Rumple. He just looked at her.

Belle noticed the exchange with wide eyes. "Rumple?" she asked softly. "Is there something that can be done?"

Silence from the imp.

"Rumple?"

He just stared ahead.

And she got angry.

"So, help me, Rumple, if there is something that can be done to help her and you don't do it, I will leave here so fast you won't know what hit you!"

The man sighed and slowly looked over at the woman at his side. "Fine," he muttered. "But I was hoping to wait just a little longer to make it more dramatic."

He limped his way over to the huddled group and placed a hand on Regina's shoulder. "We can heal her together, Regina."

The broken woman looked up with wide, disbelieving eyes. "How?" she asked. "This is a fatal wound done by a bullet, not a sword or a stake."

"Remember, dearie," he started, sounding a little too much like his old self. "Magic is different here." He held out his hand, which she reluctantly took.

"We need to concentrate on getting the bullet out and closing the wound. Don't let anything distract you." His voice was quiet as he instructed his old student. Regina gently placed her hand on Emma's stomach, directly on the wound and the healing began.

Emma's vision was beginning to darken. And she was tired. So very tired. The pain wasn't really there anymore. She was just feeling a nagging sensation in her gut. She was comfortable and really just ready to sleep.

Then the pain hit again. It felt like someone was pulling something out of her stomach. She left the realm of sleepiness and hit reality again with a start. The world was back in stark colors again and her throat felt raw from her screaming in pain.

Then…warmth. She was covered in warmth. The pain stopped and she felt like she was being submerged in warm, soothing water. It filled her being. She felt new aches and old aches disappear. And then…everything went black.

Her family watched as she went limp. Regina gave a strangled sob, Henry whispered her name, and Snow gripped her husband's hand. Rumple smiled.

"She's alive," he said. "Just passed out from blood loss. She'll be fine."

A collective sigh went through the group. Snow found herself hugging Regina, Red pulled Henry up and into her arms, and Rumple found himself in Belle's arms.

"Thank you, Rumple," James said, not even bothering to hide the tears on his cheeks. "Thank you."

Rumple just grinned.

"Regina?" a whisper came from the blonde.

"Emma," Regina said softly, running a hand through her hair.

"You okay?"

A sobbing laugh came from the brunette. "I'm fine, Ms. Swan."

Emma smiled without even opening her eyes. "Good," she said softly. "Now, take me inside. I need a shower."

Relieved laughter echoed through the group as Regina used her magic to levitate her lover inside, followed by Henry and Snow.

The crowd dispersed, most feeling guilty and very relieved that their Savior hadn't died.

James and Red, however, stayed behind, the man who had shot the gun in their possession.

"I didn't mean it," he said quickly. "I didn't mean for anyone to get hurt!"

"Said the man with the loaded gun," James muttered. "We'll keep you in jail until Emma's better. Then she can decide what to do with you."

The man actually looked relieved as James and Red carted him off. Until the brunette decided to put her two cents in.

"I bet Regina will have a lot to say on the matter, as well."

Red couldn't wait to tell Emma and Regina how pale and terrified the man looked after that.

The End

There it is. Please tell me what you think. I would love to hear from you guys! Who knows, maybe I'll write some more Swan Queen one-shots in the future.


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